Archives: Grants (page 5)

Mushkegowuk Council aims to revitalize its Omushkego laws and build an Indigenous-led justice system, starting with an in-person Justice Conference in Timmins that will include participants from each of the seven Mushkegowuk First Nations. With the conference as a launchpad, the Council will then develop a comprehensive Justice Strategy to outline next steps. While the initial direction will come from the conference, a Justice Advisory Committee will be established for ongoing feedback and direction.

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) will facilitate meetings of the Council of Experts in Indigenous Laws and host the 3rd Indigenous Laws Gathering (ILG) in Ontario. AFN will partner with First Nations and regional organizations, such as the Chiefs of Ontario, to organize the ILG incorporating the customs, protocols, and Indigenous law considerations of the host First Nation(s). AFN will also work with faculties of law in Ontario to encourage participation of students and faculty. The goal of this initiative is to advance legal education and research on the recognition of Indigenous laws.

The Justice and Equity Lab at St Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health), conducts research at the intersection of health, justice, and social-structural inequities with a focus on the health and social challenges associated with brain injury, criminal justice involvement, and homelessness. This project aims to reduce barriers to communication and compliance, in order to improve outcomes of the bail process in Toronto for people with a history of brain injury. This project will improve outcomes for people with brain injuries going through the bail process by equipping criminal justice professionals with tools to identify and better serve clients, whilst also directing clients to additional community-based supports.

The Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region will launch a legal advocacy project in Waterloo Region, supporting newcomer survivors of gender-based violence. Funding will be used to hire a new full-time Newcomer Legal Advocate, cover essential training expenses, and ensure accessible client services including transportation and interpretation support for approximately 100 newcomer survivors each year. Funding will expand SASC’s legal advocacy program to promote legal literacy, empower survivors of gender-based violence, and enhance access to justice for newcomers in Waterloo Region.

S.H.I.F.T. (Support and Hope for Individuals and Families Today) will partner with the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights to provide staff and client training on housing rights. This initiative will also supplement staff hours to assist S.H.I.F.T.'s shelter clients in South Simcoe with personalized supports on housing rights issues. The objective is to increase understanding of tenant rights and improve housing retention as clients move out of the shelter system and into permanent housing.

The Canadian Forum on Civil Justice (CFCJ) is a national nonprofit organization with a mandate to advance civil and family justice reform. Over the next three years, CFCJ will learn more about people’s justice pathways and the dispute resolution models showing promise in meeting people’s legal needs. To achieve this, it will explore justice solutions and their impact, gather socio-legal data, and research insights relevant to Ontario’s civil and family justice landscapes.

This two-year partnership will support the Black Opportunity Fund's Justice Grant Program. The program will expand the number and duration of grants to Black-led, Black-serving, and Black-focused not-for-profits that provide justice-related services to Black communities.

John Howard Society of Canada will provide legal support and education to prisoners held in solitary confinement in two federal prisons – the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener and the Millhaven Institution for men near Kingston. It will visit the prisons to ensure prisoners are aware of and can exercise the rights afforded to them in solitary confinement. It will also conduct educational activities with the Correctional Officers at both prisons regarding the obligations of Correctional Service Canada and the role of civil society organizations when serving prisoners in confinement.

Intersections is an evidence-informed early intervention program that helps children and youth (8-17) access appropriate supports and services to reduce the likelihood of becoming involved in the justice system. This grant will support the costs of a social worker who will complete intake of young people referred by police, and refer them to relevant services such as anger management, education support, internet safety, or human trafficking support services.

The Brain Injury Association Waterloo Wellington will develop and implement training for family law services, healthcare providers, and other professionals around how to recognize brain injury (BI) in intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors. It will also develop resources to assist survivors of IPV with BI to navigate the family law system effectively and will work with researchers to better understand the experiences of IPV survivors with BI in the family court system.